2 arrested for selling rotten meat in J-K's Ganderbal; 5,000 kg seized in ongoing crackdown

Srinagar, Sep 5 (PTI) Two persons were arrested for allegedly selling rotten meat and expired eatables in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district on Friday, police said.

Authorities in Kashmir have seized over 5,000 kg of rotten meat over the last few weeks as part of a crackdown after the rotten meat scandal hit the valley.

The police have registered two FIRs against stockists and food sale points for storage and sale of rotten mutton items and other eatables in the central Kashmir district, a police spokesman said.

He said the police received reliable information that a person at Kondabal Safapora area of the district was allegedly selling rotten and unhygienic meat in frozen form and which was highly unfit and unsafe for human consumption.

Acting swiftly on the information, a special team of Safapora police station along with the Ganderbal food safety officer and executive magistrate reached the spot and conducted a thorough inspection of the shop belonging to Abdul Hameed Lone, a resident of Kondabal, the spokesman said.

During the search, a considerable quantity of boiled meat items in the form of kebabs and ristas (meat balls) were recovered. They were found in frozen, rotten and unhygienic conditions, making them clearly unfit for human consumption, he said.

The spokesman said a case was registered, the accused has been arrested, and an investigation has been taken up.

In another action, the spokesman said, the police received information that the owner of Hotel Matamal Food Sale Point located at Beehama area of the district was using expired edible items in cooking food.

After receiving information, a team from Ganderbal police station reached the location and during the search, expired edible items were seized from its kitchen, the spokesman said.

He said the police registered a case, the accused was arrested and an investigation was taken up.

In a similar action in Budgam district, the police registered cases against two food outlets for multiple violations of food safety and hygiene standards.

The spokesman said that the police alongwith Charar-i-Sharief food safety officer conducted extensive market checking in areas in Pakherpora and during the inspection, multiple violations of food safety and hygiene standards were detected.

Fines were imposed on several restaurant owners and food business operators (FBOs), the spokesman said.

He said a case has been registered against two restaurants, New Arabian Nights and Shahi Darbar, for selling rotten meat and maintaining unhygienic conditions. PTI SSB KSS KSS